Region 1: The Impact of the Great Recession on the Unemployment of Americans with Disabilities

Recent data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics allows assessment of the impact of the Great Recession on working age persons with disabilities in America. Following an overview of the nature and scope of the Great Recession, the labor market experiences of persons with and without disabilities are compared for 16 of the 22 months of its duration. Differences which favor those without disabilities were detected in the labor market rate, the official unemployment rate, and in the desire for work among those who have quit the workforce. These differences persisted among subgroups based upon age and educational attainment. Finally, the reasons for unemployment are quite different for persons with and without disabilities.

Fogg, N. P., Harrington, P. E., McMahon, B. T. (2010). The impact of the Great Recession upon the unemployment of Americans with disabilities. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 33, 193-202.